Holiday movies fill our hearts with joy. Between Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas, It's a Wonderful Lifetime (or Fa La La La Lifetime, if you prefer) and ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas, there are so many movies and so little time.
To help you, our friends, we have sacrificed by watching as many of these movies as possible and will give you our two cent review. Hopefully this will help you know what you do or do not want to watch.

December 11, 2011

12 Dates of Christmas is a romantic comedy that follows Kate (Amy Smart), a young woman who re-lives the same first date on Christmas Eve over and over again. In an attempt to win back her ex-boyfriend on Christmas Eve, Kate ends up ruining her blind date with Miles (Mark-Paul Gosselaar), a handsome guy she's been set up with. In a strange twist of fate, Kate is given the chance to re-live Christmas Eve twelve times! Kate decides to embrace what Christmas Eve has given her--a loving family, great friends and Miles, who turns out to be a great guy! However, just as she seems to think she has gotten it right, the clock strikes midnight and Kate must live Christmas Eve once again. Under these weird new circumstances, Kate learns to take risks and enjoy what she's been given. Thanks to the gift of Christmas Eve, Kate finds happiness by finally trusting fate.

Our Two Cents:
12 Dates of Christmas is sort of a Christmas Groundhog Day. But in Groundhog Day, you see the real need for Phil Connor to go through that experience. This movie it isn't so clear why. She had some pretty good days in the middle that you'd think would do the trick to stop the curse. Also in the end, I'm not sure how she got all that done in one day... but that's the magic of the movies, right? Don't think about this one too much, just take it for what it is, and you'll find it a pretty enjoyable movie.

Note: Be sure to watch for the hidden 12 gifts of Christmas each day (partridge in a pear tree, 2 turtle doves, etc).

Wendy Walton is the best designer in Boston... but no one knows it yet.
Hoping to kick-start her career, Wendy has left work with the local
theatre to take a job as an assistant to Priscilla Hall, the most
prestigious designer in the city. Ms. Hall works Wendy around the clock,
which is how Wendy finds herself trapped in an elevator late one night
with an incredibly handsome stranger. Wendy and the mystery man share an
impulsive, romantic, life-changing kiss before the doors open and Wendy
runs out, leaving him behind. The next day at work, Wendy answers the
door to find the handsome gentleman standing in front of her.

Turns out
he's Adam Hughes, a wealthy philanthropist--and Ms. Hall's long
distance boyfriend. He doesn't recognize Wendy, which makes things all
the more awkward for her when Ms. Hall assigns her to decorate his house
for a big party at Christmas. As the holidays approach and Wendy and
Adam spend more and more time together, Wendy realizes she's falling in
love. Should she risk everything she's worked for and tell Adam the
truth about their moment on the elevator before he proposes to Ms. Hall?
And will Adam ever open his eyes and realize that the one true love of
his life is right in front of him? A Christmas romance about how one
kiss can change everything.

Our Two Cents:

Mixed feelings with this one. Mostly, we like it. The main character is bubbly and awkward in a likeable way. The male lead, went back a forth a little on liking him. Eventually, he got our approval but there were moments where it was a little touch and go. This is mostly because we can't help wonder what in the world he's doing dating a person like Priscilla at all! And, there's something just a little doofy about him... In the end, you are rooting for them and (spoiler alert...) your team wins.